Treatment of jute and like fibrous material



Jan. 8 1924. 1,480.47l

F. D. SfSANDEMAN TREATMENT 0E JUTE AND LIKE FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. l2. 1921 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

orrlcr..A

FREDERICK DAVID STEVART SANDEMAN, OF DUNDEE, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR T J UTE INDUSTRIES LIMITED, .OF DUNDEE, SCOTLAND, A COMPANY 0F GREAT BRITAIN.

j TREATMENT or .WTE Ami rimer-Inscris MATERIAL.

Application filed September 12, 1921.

T o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK DAVID STEWART SANDEMAN, subject of the King of England, and residing at Dundee, in the county of Forfar, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful improvements inthe Treatment of Jute and like Fbrous Matelrial,' of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of jute and like fibrous material having long libres and has for, its object to enable the earlier stages in the treatment to which the material is normally subjected to be simplilied and a saving of labour to be eiected while at the same time a more even sliver is produced.

In the case of jute when this material is removed from the bale and after opening it is commonly subjected to treatment 1n a softener and subsequently in a breaker card whence the jute comes as 'a sliver which is dealt with by other processes'not pertinent to the present invention( The fibres of the jute when taken Jfrom the bale vary in length from about Llto about 14 feet and owing to this considerable length it is necessary 'in the process .ordinarily employed to utilize hand labour to a considerable extent in the feeding ot the material into the softener, in removing it from the softener and subsequently in feeding it into the breaker card. According to the usual procedure the jute as it is taken from the bale isv passed through the opener and it is then divided up by hand into strikes which are fed by hand into the softener the strikes being manipulated by hand so as to facilitate the passage of the material through the softeiier. On emerging from the softener the jute is taken by hand and twisted and placed on a barrow where it remains for some hours. Subsequently the jut-e is placed by hand on the feed sheet of the breaker card in such a way that the libres will enter this.

Serial No. 500,114.

into the breaker card. In the case of jute, for example, when removed from the bale the material is passed through the opener and the fibers are then passed through a machine whereby they are cut into lengths of fectedsuch sorting` being carried out if de! sired partly or wholly by hand or partly or wholly mechanically. i The cut fibres are de livered by a conveyer into a. hopper feed.v

apparatus constructed with respect to its general features on known lines. This hopper feed has a certain carding or like effect on the fibres and delivers them somewhat in the form of a blanket to the softener. The fibres travel through the softener and emerge on to a conveyer which delivers the material into barrows in which it lies'for the necessary interval. Subsequently the fibres are fed by hand into a second hopper feed apparatus Vand the blanket of libres which issues therefrom passeson to the feed' sheet of the breaker card which deals with the fibres in the usual manner and delivers the sliver which is subsequently treated in the ordinarv way.

The cutting of the 'fibrous material into relatively short lengths is advantageous' from the point of view of the final product and with respect to the earlier steps in the treatment ot the material besides effecting an economy in labour. In the first place the sorting that now;1 becomes possible as.

the fibres issue tromthe ciltting machine enables the material to begradcd so that.

in the case of jute the ends of the'fibres can be separated from the central portions which are of better quality anddifferent qualities of material thus separated canlbe dealt with subsequently in separate machines for the production of diHerent grades of yarn. The passage ot the fibres from the cutting machine to the hopper feed may be effected automatically by means of conveyers. By reason of the action of the hopper feed apparatus the fibres are formed into a blanket which can be delivered automatically to the softener so that the -feeding by hand of the softener is avoided'. Owing to the manner in which the hopper feed has i dealt with the cut fibres, a more satisfactory softening of the fibres is effected since the liquid delivered on to the fibres as they pass through the softener can take effect. on the fibres more thoroughly afd readily thanwhen they are in greater lengths .when they could not be passed ly even blanket of fibres flows onto lthe feed sheetvof theA breaker card'and as a v result a more even distribution of the fibres on the feed sheet .is obtained and colisequently the sliver issuing from the breaker card is more uniform in its density.

A further advantage in thc iin-proved method of treating 4the fibres is that by cutting them so as to reduce their length it becomes possible to employ an automat-ic feeding mechanism and in addition to getting a more even delivery through the breaker card as mentioned above, this machine has to do less breaking of the fibre and can therefore have a greater cai-ding effectthanv ispossible where fibres of full length are delivered intokthe breaker card. 'lhe fibres in the sliver leaving the breaker card tend to have a greater average length than is the ca'se where the whole reduction in length of the fibres has to be performed in the breaker card.

The accompanying drawing illustrates somewhat diagrammatically and in sectional elevation one arrangement of the' apparatus necessary for carrying outl the improved process.

The fibres are fed in the ordinary way into the opener A so that they will pass in the direction of their length through this machine. O n emerging from the opener it is necessary to transfer the fibres by hand on to the entering table of thecutter B. The slabs of jute as they come out of the opener A are separated by hand into heads and the individual heads of jute are laid across the table or entering ends B of' the conveyer bands of the cutter B and so that the fibres extend transversely across this machine. The fibres are carried through the cutter B and are thereby cut up into lengths not exceeding two feet. On emerging fromthe cutter B the short lengths of fibre are de# livered by the conveyerbands of thecut-ting machine into the hopper feed C. The delivery of the fibres may be as shown in the drawing direct from the cutter B into' the hopper C or the fibresmay pass ofi'v the b and conveyers of the cutter on to other band con-A veyers serving to deliver t-he fibres into sev' more hopper-s. If a sorting of the fibresis to be effected7 it is carried out at this stage. For example the length of the delivery tend of the cutting machine may be such that as the cut fibres pass out from the cutter on.

the several conveyer bands a hand sorting can be effected. Thus the end portions othe fibres can be removed and taken away bv suitably arranged conveyer bands or by other means so as to enable these portions of the fibres to be dealt with Separatelywhil.

the main part of the fibres pass on lnto the hopper feed mechanism; In some, cases thesorting may be carried out mechanicallby v arranging for the outer convever ban S of the cutter B on which will lie the ends of the fibres to deliver these parts of the fibres on to one conveyer band at the end of the machine while the other cut portions of the fibres are deliveredeither -dirhectly into asv hopper feed or on to one or more conveyer bands which supply several hopper feed mechanisms. v

Each hopper feed apparatus is conveneently constructed and arranged somewhat as illustrated diagrarnmatically in the drawing with a lattice C and a stripper C?. As'

the cut fibres pass through the hopper feed y C they are so treated that they issuey in substantially blanket form. This blanket of fibres is delivered to the softener D.- The fibres fall on to a conveyer or feedsheet D which carries them to the rollers of the softener D. Owing to the relatively short fibres being in blanket form, they will be carried satisfactorily through the softener and will be prevented from falling down between the rollers of this machine, At the delivery end ofthe softener the fibres are delivered by' a conveyer such as E into the usual barrows F in which the fibres are allowed to lie in the' customary manner for a certain number/of hours'.

When the softening is completed, the fibres are taken by hand from the barrows l" and fed into a second hopper feed apparatus G. The fibres as they issue from this hopper are delivered to the breaker card H. As the fibres pass out from the hopper feed (ir in blanket form they flow on to the feed sheet H of the breaker card and a uniform feed to the breaker card is thus obtained with requirements and the length into which may be constructed blanket form on to the the fibres have been cut in the-cutter B.

Each hopper feed mechanism' C and G as found desirable and m accordanceiwith the length into which the fibres have been cut the machine being arranged so as to pick up the fibres from the hopper into which they 'are first fed and deliver these fibres vin a substantially uniform stream or sheet. -A certain carding effect is obtained'in the 'hopper feed whereby theA 15 b res are caused to issue as'mentioned in substantially bla ket'form'.

Thel details offn the lmechanisms employed in carrying the process into practice may be modified as found desirable more especially in accordance with the'lengthin'to which the fibres are cut.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A process for the treatment of fibrous material such as jute having long fibres according to which the material is first opened,

next the fibres are cut so as to reduce them to a length of from seven inches to two feet. 'the cut fibres bein'g then passed into a hopiper feed mechanism and delivered automati cally therefrom in substantially blanket form to a softener, the bres after softening sing laced in a hopper feed mechanism and de ivered thereby to' a breaker card. 2, A process for the treatmentof fibrous' having long fibres ac.

material such as jute cording to which the material is firstopened, next the fibres are`cut so as to reduce them to a length of from seven inches to two feet, the cut fibres being then passed into a hopper feed mechanism and thereby delivered to a softener, the fibres aftersoftening being placed in a hopper feed mechanism and automatically delivered thereby in substantially feed sheet of a breaker card. v

3. A process for the treatment of fibrous material suc'h as jute having longfibres according to which thematerial is first opened, next the fibres are cut so as 'to reduce them to a length of from seven inches to two feet, the cnt Afibresv'being;fdelivegjed automatically into a hopper feed mechanism and thereby delivered to a softener, the fibres next being fee'd mechanism and delivered automatically from the softener into barrows whence the fibres are taken and placed in a hopper feed mechanism which delivers them automa'ticallyon to the feed sheet of a breaker card.

4. A process for the treatment of fibrous material such as jute having long fibres according to which the material is first opened,

next the fibres are cut so as to reduce themto a length of from seven inches to two feet, the cut fibres beingthen delivered automatically into a hopper feed mechanism and delivered automatically 'therefrom in substantially blanket form to a softener, the fibres after softening bein placed in a hop er r elivered 'automatically thereby in substantially blanket form on .to the feed sheet of a breaker card.

5. The method of treatin'g long fiber jute preparatory to yarn'making consstin in opening the fibres, cutting them into sections ,having lengths of between seven inches and two feet, forming these sections into a substantially continuous. blanket, and feeding the blanket thus formed through a softening machine. 6. The method of treating long fiber jute preparatory to yarn making consisting in opening the fibers', cutting them into sections om seven inches to two feet in length, formin'g the short lengths into-a substantiall continuous `blanket,` feedin the blan et thus formed through a softening machine, forming a second continuous blanket of the softened fibers, and feeding this second blanket through a breakercard.

i7. The method 'of treating long fiber jute preparatory to 'yarn making consisting in opening the fiberscutting. them into sections from seven inches to two feet in length, softeningthe sections thus formed, forming a continuous blanket of the softened fibers and feeding this second blanket through a breaker card. 8. The method of treating long fiber jute in yarn making consisting in opcning the loo i fibers, cutting them into sections 'from seven FRED. .'D. STEWART SANDEMAN.

I have signed my 

